Qal'at al-Qatif

Qal'at al-Qatif (Arabic: قلعة القطيف‎) or Qatif Castle was a historic castle in the city of Qatif, Saudi Arabia. Initial construction of the castle dates back to the third century by the Sassanids.[1] It was then refurbished by the Ottomans and utilized as a defensive military base for the Persian Gulf region. Later, the castle was turned into a civilian-purpose warehouse for the locals.[2] The castle itself was a massive complex of densely populated area and several facilities, including eleven mosques, a keep for the king, keeps for the guests, which are surrounded by the citadel wall.[3] It was oval-shaped,[4] and John Gordon Lorimer estimated that the longest side reaches 365 meters from the east to west, and it reaches 275 meters from the north to south. At its peak, it contained the population of 5,000, and 300 shops. It also equipped moat and farmlands for orchard, connected to nearby Qatif oasis.[5] The castle was destroyed in the 1980s, after the ownership was taken away from the locals, and the buildings and houses were gradually removed. Today, there are only 18 houses left in the field with the rest of the places turned into a public square and parking lots.[2][6][7]

Qal'at al-Qatif
Qatif Castle
قلعة القطيف
Qatif Castle in the 1940s.
LocationQatif, Saudi Arabia
RegionQal'at Region
Coordinates26.5593697°N 50.0051276°E / 26.5593697; 50.0051276
TypeOttoman Defensive Castle
kasbah
Length365m
Width275m
History
BuilderSassanid Empire
Ottoman Empire
Materialstones, rocks, mud
Founded3rd Century (by the Sassanids)
16th Century (by the Ottomans)
Abandoned1975-1980
Site notes
Conditionmostly destroyed, 18 houses left in the area
  • Map of the castle
  • Aerial view of the castle, 1969
  • Remains of the old house
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References
  1. لمحة عن اثار المنطقة الشرقية. Al Mrsal. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. أضواء على تاريخ القلعة. Qatif Oasis. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  3. قلعة القطيف. Qatif News. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  4. مجلة قافلة الزيت، العدد: 187، ذو الحجة 1389ه-فبراير-مارس 1970م.
  5. آل ملا، عبدالرحمن (2002). تاريخ الإمارة العيونية في شرق الجزيرة العربية. مؤسسة جائزة عبدالعزيز سعود البابطين للإبداع الشعري. اطلع عليه بتاريخ 8 تمّوز، 2017.
  6. رئيس البلدية: أوقفنا إزالتها بناء على طلب هيئة 18 منزلاً آيلاً للسقوط.. آخر ما تبقى من قلعة القطيف التاريخية السياحة. Al Watan. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  7. أضواء على تاريخ القلعة. Al Wahamag. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
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